Wireless Controller, Service Platform and Access Point

Sets the configurations required by the TRON-capable, WiNG APs to start TRON-tracking and reporting.

Note

TRON is a licensed feature, designed specifically for FedEX. The TRON license can be applied on the NX5000, NX7500, NX9500, NX9600, and VX9000 platforms.

TRON is a proprietary FedEx BLE asset tracking application that tracks tagged packages moving through a distribution center. It is a multi-tier application consisting of the following elements:

The “ID Nodes” – These are small, battery-powered Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices attached to FedEx packages. Each ID Node (also called tag) is uniquely identified by its Bluetooth device address. The ID Node sends out BLE advertisements, with a payload containing information about the state and configuration of the ID Node.
The FMN (Fixed Master Node) – This is a functionality running on the TRON-capable, WiNG AP. The FMN listens for BLE advertisements beaconed by the ID Nodes. When the FMN senses an ID Node, it records the state and condition of the ID Node in an internal table. At regular intervals, the FMN reviews this table and reports interesting information about the ID Nodes to the FedEx backend server.

The FMN also connects to an ID Node to read/write arbitrary Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) attributes, as instructed by the back-end server.

Each TRON-capable, WiNG AP will be able to track up to 2000 ID Nodes at a time.
The FedEx backend provisioning server – This is a FedEx proprietary application that tracks the ID Nodes based on the information sent to it by the FMN running on the WiNG AP.
The Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) (MQTT) Broker– MQTT is a standard publish-subscribe-based messaging protocol, which allows clients to exchange messages through an intermediate component, called the broker, A client (the publisher) publishes messages on a particular “topic” to the MQTT Broker, which filters these messages and forwards them correctly to other clients (the subscribers) that have subscribed to that “topic”.

All communication between the FMN and the backend server is through the MQTT Broker. The FMN and FedEx backend server are the clients (publisher and subscriber) of the MQTT Broker. They communicate by publishing/subscribing to topics they have agreed upon in advance. The FMN and server can publish as well as subscribe messages on the pre-defined topics

To enable TRON tracking, you will need a controller with the TRON license applied, TRON-capable APs adopted to this controller. However, to TURN ON the TRON capabilities on a WiNG AP, the following two things are needed:

The adopting controller must explicitly ‘give permission‘ to the AP to enable the TRON feature. For this, the controller must have the TRON license applied on it. For more information on applying the TRON license, see license.
The AP should have the ‘initial configurations‘ set in its Bluetooth interface context. Use this command to set these initial configurations.

Note

Before setting the initial configurations, set the AP‘s bluetooth radio mode to tron-tracking. For more information, see mode.

Supported in the following platforms

Access Points – AP8533

Syntax

tron [delete-operating-config-on-start|ignore-mqtt-truststore|initial-config|
reconstruct-nodetype-db-on-start]

tron delete-operating-config-on-start

tron ignore-mqtt-truststore

tron initial-config mqtt [client-prefix <WORD>|password <WORD>|port <1025-65535>|
server [<IP>|<HOST-NAME>]|topic-publish-prefix <LINE>|topic-subscribe-prefix <LINE>|
username <WORD>]

tron reconstruct-nodetype-db-on-start

Parameters

tron delete-operating-config-on-start

tron delete-operating-config-on-start

Enables the TRON software, on the AP, to delete the TRON “operating configuration” before starting any other TRON operations. Issue this command only if you wish to reload the operating configuration from the provisioning server.

When the TRON software on an AP comes up for the first time, it uses the "initial-configuration" to connect with the backend provisioning server and download the operating configuration. This operating configuration is stored in the AP‘s file system. The configuration persists across TRON enables/disables and across AP reboots. In case the "operating configuration" has been misconfigured, the only means to delete it is by using this command. When issued, the command deletes the operating configuration. After the deletion, the AP's uses the “initial configuration” to connect to the provisioning server through the MQTT broker and download the operating configuration.

However, if you execute this command while the TRON software is already up and running, it will have no effect until you restart the TRON.

Note:

Once the TRON software has obtained a new operating configuration and reconnected to the MQTT Broker, issue the no → tron delete-operating-config-on-start command to retain the new operating configuration across reboots and enable/disable operations.

Note:

To view the operating configuration, execute the show → tron → operating-configuration → {on <AP-NAME>} command. For more information, see tron (show command).

tron ignore-mqtt-truststore

tron ignore-mqtt-truststore

Enable this option to force the MQTT functionality on the AP to use URIs beginning with tcp: and not ssl:

When enabled, the TRON software, on starting up, ignores existing MQTT truststore (aka, certificate file), and uses a URI that begins with tcp: instead of ssl:

Note:

However, if you execute this command while the TRON software is already up and running, it will have no effect until you restart the TRON. This parameter is not mandatory, and is disabled by default.

tron initial-config mqtt [client-prefix <WORD>|password <WORD>|port <1025-65535>|server [<IP>|<HOST-NAME>]|topic-publish-prefix <LINE>|topic-subscribe-prefix <LINE>|username <WORD>]

tron initial-config mqtt	Sets the initial configurations required by the TRON-capable, WiNG AP to recognize and associate with the MQTT Broker for the first time. After associating with the Broker, the FMN functionality on the WiNG AP begins exchanging messages with the FedEx backend server. This FedEx backend server downloads an operating configuration to the AP. Note: The initial configurations are mandatory. However, once the AP is provisioned with the FedEx proprietary operating configuration, the initial configuration is ignored. To view the operating configuration, execute the `show → tron → operating-configuration → {on <AP-NAME>}` command. For more information, see tron (show command). Note: The FMN also connects to an ID Node to read/write arbitrary GATT attributes, as instructed by the back-end server.
client-prefix <WORD>	Configures the MQTT client‘s prefix <WORD> – Provide the prefix (should not exceed 16 characters in length). Note: The default value is ‘FMN‘.
password <WORD>	Configures the password required to authenticate with the MQTT Broker. You will need a username/password combination in order for the FMN to authenticate and associate with the MQTT Broker. Use the ‘username‘ and ‘password‘ options to specify the username and password respectively. <WORD> – Specify the password either as clear text or as encrypted text. In case of clear text, the password should not exceed 32 characters in length). Note: The password is displayed as clear or encrypted text depending on whether or not ‘password encryption‘ has been enabled on the AP. For more information on enabling password-encryption, see password-encryption.
port <1025-65535>	Configures the port on which the MQTT Broker is reachable <1025-65535> – Provide the port number form 1025 - 65535. Note: The default value is 61613.
server [<IP>\|<HOST-NAME>]	Identifies the MQTT server either by its IP address or hostname. This the server hosting the MQTT Broker. <IP> – Provide the server‘s IP address in the A.B.C.D format. <HOST-NAME> – Provide the server‘s hostname. Note: The input should not exceed 255 characters in length.
topic-publish-prefix <LINE>	Configures the prefix of the topic published by the FMN <LINE> – Specify the publish topic prefix. Note: The input should not exceed 255 characters in length.
topic-subscribe-prefix <LINE>	Configures the prefix of the topic subscribed by the FMN <LINE> – Specify the subscribe topic prefix. Note: The input should not exceed 255 characters in length.
username <WORD>	Configures the username required to authenticate with the MQTT Broker. You will need a username/password combination in order for the FMN to authenticate and associate with the MQTT Broker. Use the ‘username‘ and ‘password‘ options to specify the username and password respectively. Note: The username should not exceed 32 characters in length.

tron reconstruct-nodetype-db-on-start

tron reconstruct-nodetype-db-on-start

Enables reconstruction of the node-type database. When enabled, the TRON software (FMN) discards existing database and on-the-fly, reconstructs a database containing “node-type” to a specific layout of GATT services and characteristics mappings.

Each ID Node, within a physical space, sends out Bluetooth advertisements that includes the ‘node-type‘ (for example, 0x11) information. When the TRON functionality on the WiNG AP, connects to an ID Node for the first time, it discovers and caches the ID Node‘s layout for GATT services and characteristics in the ‘node-type‘ database/table. Subsequent GATT discovery of other ID Nodes is skipped on the assumption that ID Nodes advertising the same node-type value as the first ID Node will have the same layout for their GATT services and characteristics. This node-type database, created at the first instance of connection, persists across AP reboots and enabling/disabling of the TRON functionality on the AP. If on the ID Nodes, the layout of the GATT services and characteristics changes (post database creation), the existing database is no longer valid. In this scenario, use this command to discard the existing database and recreate a new one.

Note:

This parameter is not mandatory, and is disabled by default.

Examples

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#tron initial-config mqtt client-prefix fmn

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#tron initial-config mqtt server 1.2.3.4

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#tron initial-config mqtt topic-publish-prefix idnodes

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#tron initial-config mqtt topic-subscribe-prefix idnodes

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#tron initial-config mqtt username fmn

NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#show context
 interface bluetooth1
  shutdown
  mode tron-tracking
  tron initial-config mqtt server 1.2.3.4
  tron initial-config mqtt username fmn
  tron initial-config mqtt password 0 fmn@1234
  tron initial-config mqtt client-prefix fmn
  tron initial-config mqtt topic-publish-prefix idnodes
  tron initial-config mqtt topic-subscribe-prefix idnodes
NOC-NX9500(config-profile-test8533-if-bluetooth1)#

Related Commands

no (bluetooth-inf-config-command)

Removes the TRON related configurations set on this Bluetooth radio.